In some ways, Costco has been training me for the rumpus all along.
Or, in the words of my girl Pocahontas:
What I love most about Costco is, you can’t step in the same Costco twice
The store is always changing, always flowing
But people I guess can’t live like that
We all must pay a price
With membership we lose our chance of ever knowing
What will be in stock today?
Tell me what will be in stock todaaaaaay
I shop every trip at Costco like it’s my last trip, since I don’t know what will be in stock the next time I am there.
They have may have one thing in stock for literally years, and then it will disappear without a trace, never to be seen or heard from again. They used to have a Monterey Jack cheese block that dreams were made of. I got it every two weeks for a year. And one week it just wasn’t there. I’ve never seen it since. I asked an employee about it once and they were like, “I didn’t know we ever carried Monterey Jack cheese.” Which made me wonder if I had hallucinated the whole year of purchasing and eating this cheese. Were all those burritos, quesadillas, sandwiches, and enchiladas mirages?? Mr. B assures me he ate the phantom Monterey Jack as well, so at least if it is a delusion I am not alone. Maybe that’s all marriage really is. Sharing the same cheese related delusion.
Sometimes, Costco will have things on a rotating calendar that no one knows the rhyme or reason of. It will pop in sometimes and then pop away for a little while and then, hello there, pop back again. Trying to keep track of the cycle will drive you mad, so best to just grab a few when you can. This is me with salsa and papayas. Sometimes those things are there. Sometimes they’re not. Like sands in an hourglass, so are the shopping trips of my life.
There are the obvious holiday rotations: wrapping paper and ornaments at Christmas, costumes at Halloween, water toys at the summer. Then there are the less obvious rotations. Why are there sometimes couches and play houses and sometimes not? Why can I get fancy memory foam pillows this month but last month there were no pillows, just piles of nerf guns?
Then there is what happened to me on this trip.
For many years, my family bought the Kirkland Brand Chocolate Chips that come in a White Bag. These chips are the bomb. They are high quality chocolate chips perfect for baking, adding to yogurt or trail mix, or just eating on their own. My whole family loves them. I want to jump in a pool of them like Scrooge McDuck swimming through his money piles.
Then, about four years ago, they mysteriously disappeared. Woe betide me! For a solid six months, we made do with Hersey House and Toll Nuggets, or whatever other chocolate chips call themselves, I don’t know. And then, one miraculous day, the clouds cleared and upon mine eyes a glorious sight: the Kirkland Chocolate Chips in the White Bag! Smell ya later, Ghirardelli!
For the next year, whenever I did a Costco trip, I bought a bag of Kirkland Chocolate Chips in the White Bag. I was not going to get caught out in the storm again. Oh no. This time, if the chips mysteriously disappeared, I would be prepared.
Mr. B thought this was a little excessive. He started limiting my rations of the Kirkland Chocolate Chips in the White Bag. The tyrant. I was not allowed to have more than nine bags in the entire house. How can I be expected to live under these conditions?
Well, wouldn’t you know it, a little over a year later, the Kirkland Chocolate Chips in the White Bag mysteriously disappeared again. At first, I was not stressed. After all, I had nine bags of chips. Nine bags of chips can last a good long while. The last drought was six months. Surely, they’ll be back in six months.
Reader, the Kirkland Chocolate Chips in the White Bag were not back in six months.
What did arrive were the Kirkland Chocolate Chips in the RED Bag. They were too sweet, they melted too quickly, even the size seemed off. An inferior product all around. But this is what Costco offered, so we had very little choice but to accept.
This happened right after the birth of the Teacup, so it has been almost two years. Two years of mediocre chocolate chips.
And then. This trip.
THE KIRKLAND CHOCOLATE CHIPS IN THE WHITE BAG.
I bought two. And as I practically rode my cart to the car, coasting on triumph and the promise of chocolatey goodness, I hollered to Mr. B from like 15 feet away, “THE GOOD CHOCOLATE CHIPS ARE BACK! THE GOOD CHOCOLATE CHIPS ARE BACK!” Like a short, chocolate loving Paul Revere.
Mr. B asked, “How many bags did you get?” And I replied, “Two. Are you going to make fun of me for it?” And he said, “No. For you that’s restrained.” Which was very nice of him considering that I went so over budget it was not to be believed. In addition to the Kirkland Chocolate Chips in the White Bag, I needed to stock up on a few other things: green chile, cheese, cheese, some more cheese, diapers, toilet paper, olive oil, a twenty five pound bag of flour…you know how it is.
I did remember to bring my gift card, so what was originally a $387.32 trip became a $373.83 trip. Which puts me $73.83 over budget. And I would do it all over again for those Kirkland Chocolate Chips in the White Bag. No regrets!
This bag of flour weighs approximately the same as my two year old. But it cost significantly less. $6.49.
This will last me a year for $9.99. Promise. Check back this same date in 2021. I’ll prove it to you.
Samesies.
I found a box of these yogurts I had never seen before. $7 for 12.
The red bag chips. Just fine. Normally $8.99.
The star of the show. $9.99.
Y’all thought I was kidding when I said I had to buy cheese, cheese, and more cheese. Colby Jack, Cheddar, Shredded Mozzarella, AND Sliced Mozzarella.
What is one thing your favorite store used to carry and now you can’t find anymore? Are you also a fan of the Kirkland Chocolate Chips in the White Bag? Are you a red bag fan and feel I have unfairly maligned your chips? Let me know down below!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!
Sheila Abbott says
I live about 45 minutes from Costco so we make a monthly trip as well. My son was in a baseball camp last week that was 10 minutes from Costco. I ended up at the store 3 days out of 5 and each trip found different items in stock. And yes they move the items around so that I thought I was losing my mind. The first day was a holy grail day, I purchased toilet paper, paper towel and disinfectant wipes along with our required cheese purchase. The second day was bacon (pre-cooked) for my mother and kiwi and finally the third day bacon, toilet paper and Gatorade! We are loving the cheese and nut protein packs right now but I fully expect them to disappear in the next month!
Kristen says
Sheila, this sounds like the best week ever. All that toilet paper and bacon. And don’t get me started on how jealous I am over those wipes!!
Dara says
I am not a Costco girl, but just wanted to say how much I enjoy your writing! Your shopping stories never disappoint. Your Costco and Kroger adventures always bring me a smile, which is especially appreciated during the rumpus!
Kristen says
Dara!! Thank you so much. <3 Writing about groceries on the internet is definitely my most unique hobby, but I do love it! Thank you for reading!
Jana says
Oatmeal Squares cereal. I cannot figure out when it will be in stock and when it will be gone. No rhyme or reason. I bought 5 boxes (double bags) at the beginning of the summer. They are LONG gone, both from my house and the store! ARGHHHHH!
Kristen says
I have never heard of this, but I do love oatmeals and I do love squares. I hope they come back in stock soon, Jana!